Over 20,000 Arrested in California on Marijuana Charges in 2013

The California Attorney General’s office has released its 2013 Crime Report.

According to the report, there were 13,779 felony marijuana arrests in California in 2013, up slightly from 13,434 in 2012. Hispanics were the most-arrested ethnic group, with 5,419 felony arrests, followed by whites (4,516) and blacks (2,538).

The largest age group for arrestees was 20-29, which accounted for 5,876 of the felony arrests, in sharp contrast to arrests for “dangerous drugs,” which were up to over 85,000 in 2013 and remained high for all age groups. Juvenile felony arrests for marijuana dropped slightly, coming in at 1,556, vs. 1,671 in 2012.

Marijuana misdemeanor arrests came in at 6,567 in 2013 vs. 7,768 in 2012. Those under 18 accounted for 4,572 of misdemeanor marijuana arrests; again Hispanics were the most-arrested group. The number of marijuana misdemeanor arrests in 2010 was 54,849 but the number dropped precipitously after possession of less than an ounce was reclassified as an infraction in California. Read more.

After laughing when the subject of marijuana legalization was raised, Attorney General Kamala Harris has now reached to an absurd argument, saying in a recent interview that California should wait to see how Colorado and Washington deal with such complex issues as open-air use that can lead to contact highs among bystanders who had no intention of inhaling.

Harris is up for re-election against Republican Ron Gold, who is in favor of marijuana legalization.

Also see: California Narcotic Officers’ Association Bent on Increasing Arrests for Under an Ounce of Medical Marijuana

Cops Answering to CA’s Attorney General are the Marijuana-Eradicating Agents in Mendocino

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